Jumanji

Very important: Once a game of Jumanji is started it will not be over until one player reaches the Golden City.

GOT U COVERED 📗

Author: Chris Van Allsburg

Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg

Published: 1981

Description: A girl looks shocked as two monkeys are sitting on the kitchen table.

“What’s that?” Judy asked

“It’s a game,” said Peter, handing her the box.

“JUMANJI,” Judy read from the box. “A JUNGLE ADVENTURE GAME.”

SYNOPSIS 📖

Jumanji (the picture book) explores the thrilling escapades of siblings Peter and Judy, who stumble upon a mysterious board game with a wild twist. From rampaging monkeys to a hungry lion, every roll of the dice transports the players into a perilous jungle world. As they navigate through unexpected dangers and wild encounters, the line between reality and fantasy blurs, creating an exhilarating and unforgettable reading experience.

“I don’t think,” said Peter in between gasps of air, “that I want…to play…this game…anymore.”

THOUGHTS 💭

Given that I was first exposed to Jumanji as a film, I had no idea that it originated as a book. At only 32 pages, I was quite surprised the book was that short since the film is packed with so many adventurous and periled moments. However, there is a novelization of the movie as well if you’re interested in reading that too.

Because this book is so short, there’s not a lot of narrative I can have thoughts on, so I’ll touch on the differences between the book and the movie.

• Judy and Peter are not orphans. Their parents are very much alive and are attending the opera, leaving the kids alone at home when all the chaos ensues.

• There is also no mention of Aunt Nora, Allan Parrish, or Sarah Whittle. However, at the end of the book, we do get a nod to the sequel characters that will appear in the book and film, Zathura. 

• As in the film, the kids have to encounter various animals that the game conjures: a lion, a monkey, Tse Tse flies, and a stampede. There is also a lost guide and a python.

• The rules are quite different, as soon as they roll the dice, the previous animal goes away and the new problem enters.

• But all is well when Judy wins the game and yells out Jumanji, banishing all the troublesome animals back into the game and restoring their house to its original form.

I don’t know if it would’ve been one of my favourite bedtime books when I was younger. We don’t get too much information on Judy and Peter, so I would have had nothing to connect to and while the animals are of course very fun and scary, they are removed from the scenario just as quickly as they entered. If I were to ever come across this book in a thrift store or some second-hand vendor, then I’d purchase it to add to the nostalgic collection, however, it’s in large part due to the movie and not the book itself.

I would grade this book a soft B.

What are your thoughts on the book and how would you grade it? Share your thoughts.